It is unfortunate but unsurprising that there are still a number of otherwise intelligent women who leave the investing and money management to their husbands. “Ladies, this is not a smart move” as Camilla will tell you. I am reminded of a wry and tongue in cheek quote, “A man is no financial plan” and I cannot agree more with who ever first penned it.

Camilla Mendoza Interview 2012 Part1

Camilla Mendoza Interview2012 Part2

As a performance coach and accredited mortgage broker Camilla specializes in helping people gain financial mastery and independence so they can live life on their terms. Her clients include SME business owners and corporate professionals, and people who simply want to grow and bring about change in their personal life.

Find Camilla Mendoza at

http://www.prosperitypoint.com.au

I am sure the thought has crossed the minds of countless CEOs who intrinsically recognize and acknowledge their inner higher calling.

My guest Shivani Gupta is the CEO of “Passionate People Institute”, executive coach, mentor to small business owners, and highly sought after corporate speaker. This corporate warrior turned business butterfly is also a wife and mother of 4.

Shivani Gupta Interview Part1

Shivani Gupta Interview Part2

Her company tagline says it all, “Inspire, Challenge, Transform”.

Qualifying as an electronic and electrical engineer with an MBA, she moved into senior management with BHP Billiton.

But it was not enough as Shivani discovered that starting her own business was where her heart and passion lay.

It paid off as her business expertise was recognized when she won the ‘Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year’.

This 60 min interview has some gems of advice and insight for anyone who has been ignoring their inner yearning for creating a meaningful and lucrative business.

My advice: Don’t let the dream die

Find Shivani at

http://www.passionatepeopleinstitute.com

Ruby Johnson

Leanne Peard

Sometimes we cannot avoid the slings and arrows inflicted by thoughtless, tactless and downright objectionable people who co habit planet Earth.

These come in the form of verbal or physical bullying or worse.

Depending on our level of self esteem and self confidence we either roll with the punches or feel that it will take an eternity to heal those wounds.

If you are a regular reader of my blog articles you will know that at the very core of becoming successful is our perception of our self esteem, self worth, self confidence that will either get you there or stop you from achieving all your goals.

I had the privilege of speaking with Leanne Peard & Ruby Johnson authors of Angels in Hell-re empowered after rape about their personal experiences and what they have done to move on.

Watch my interview with these 2 remarkable ladies: viewMedia.do?mId=192824806

or download the interview

Ruby Johnson Leanne Peard Interview Part1

Ruby Johnson Leanne Peard Interview Part2a

Ruby Johnson Leanne Peard Interview Part2b

Firstly I want to acknowledge their courage and honesty for writing about their personal experience with rape.

Secondly I want to thank them on behalf of everyone who has been through it for sharing their means and methods to heal (emotionally) and move forward with their lives rather than be held hostage to the past.

“Change or tapping into personal power is not an easy—but definitely a necessary—part of this journey called life, especially for those of us who have been violated, abused or attacked.

The bad news is that many will not take the steps to change; many will not be able to forgive. Many will stay in the darkness and never experience the beauty that life has to offer. We would hope that you will choose to change, to transform your life and re-­‐empower yourself.”-Angels in Hell re empowered after rape

Leanne Peard is the director of Absolute Wisdom a Life and Business Coaching consultancy, a Master of Reiki, and mother of two; she lives in tropical Cairns Queensland.

Ruby Johnson is the owner/director of Wholistic Enterprises and the founder of the College for Actualising Human Potential. She has designed and had nationally accredited the Cert IV to the Advanced Diploma in Wholistic Wellness and is the Author of 2 other books: Your Drug or Your Life and Wake Up & Breathe.

Purchase the book at http://www.celebratingwomanhood.com.au

Visit them on www.facebook.com/angelsinhell1

Enjoy!

Wayne McDonald Interview Part2

His 25 years of experience either owning or running corporate training companies places him as an authority in this field of getting your business to the next level.

With a tagline, “Success can be achieved by growing your mind and engaging your heart”, Wayne is not afraid to confront the hard issues that prevent people and companies from performing at their best.

Wayne McDonald Interview Part1

He shares real life examples (Part 2 of this interview) of how he gets business owners past their own fears and vulnerabilities about managing recalcitrant staff to being empowered to make decisions that are in the best interest of their business.

He helps his clients take a quantum leap beyond their present circumstances and limitations to unlimited success.

Find Wayne at

http://www.successknowhow.com.au

I love when a boss gets it that his most precious assets are his employees.

Ken Grenda is on such boss. His tips on how to be a great boss should be compulsory reading for any aspiring CEO

A MELBOURNE boss has stunned his staff by giving them a staggering $15 million gift -the ultimate pay-off for their hard work and loyalty.

Workers at bus company Grenda couldn’t believe their good fortune when surprise bonuses averaging $8500 were paid into their accounts – with some staff receiving as much as $30,000.

“A business is only as good as its people, and our people are fantastic,” he said. “This is to recognise that. We have had people here who are second generation, and one fellow in the same job for 52 years.

Grenda bus driver Heath, with the company for just 10 months, received less than the average bonus, but was dumbfounded by his windfall of around $850.

“Some employees were calling their banks assuming it was an error,” he said. “Good bosses are hard to find and Ken was a very good boss, one of a kind.”

http://www.news.com.au/business/meet-victorias-best-boss-who-gave-his-loyal-staff-a-15m-bonus/story-e6frfm1i-1226258897821#ixzz1l5O1mAuD

By Elissa Doherty  Herald Sun  February 01, 2012

Some days I feel like looking up the person who coined the term Superwoman and putting that myth where the sun don’t shine.

Assuming this role and raising a family of kids is still a challenge regardless of what anyone says.

So what if your child is considered by doctors to be ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder); how do you cope?

Your chosen career still demands that you will put in some serious hours.

But if your home life is in disarray the probability that you are devoting 100 % of your attention to fast forwarding your career is unlikely. It will be frustrating and will dissipate your energy leaving you feeling flat and a wee bit disappointed.

Perhaps there is the unspoken sense of guilt, failure and shame.

I suggest you stop beating yourself up and get a different perspective and with it some well needed encouragement on this subject.

Rod Schofield Interview

My interview guest Rod Schofield whose coaching business is called “Transform your difficult child” is well placed to discuss this topic.

Rod walks his talk because he found himself exactly in that situation when his youngest of 4 kids (Stephen) was diagnosed with ADHD

He shares his insights and equally importantly his means for managing his own energy levels which he recognizes that is vital to maintaining a healthy relationship with all his children, wife and growing his business.

You can contact Rod for his mentoring and coaching programs that help parents with difficult children at http://www.difficultchild.com.au

I use the analogy of a tomato seed that is not much to look at but when is in fertile soil and with the requisite water, warmth, right amounts of sun and shade will emerge from the soil firstly as a tiny seedling but eventually bear lots of summer fruit. Pay day!

Consider yourself the tomato seed and the coming holidays the equivalent of the fertile soil, water, sun and shade where you plan and sketch your career path for 2012.

If you have been toying with the idea of changing careers or becoming an entrepreneur and have procrastinated, NOW is the time gather intelligence about your new venture and also do the inner work (on yourself) to prepare for the big leap.

Firstly the inner work

Below are a number of ways to get clear on the whys and then why not and how to’s; the list is by no means exhaustive but it will give you a starting point.

Top 5 Reasons for Changing Careers:

1. Job dissatisfaction- Is this all there is?
2. Burn out- Tired all the time
3. Mind your head on the Glass Ceiling- You want a promotion?
4. Not challenging anymore- It’s the same old song
5. Better pay- Is the grass greener yonder?

Top 3 Tips for a Smooth Career Change

1. Know why you want a change-See above
2. Know where you want to go-Stock take your current skills
3. Plan how to get there- You have the keys to unlocking the golden handcuffs

Top 5 Reasons for Not Changing Jobs:

1. Fear of the unknown-I’m crap at managing my money
2. Fear of the unknown- Do I know enough?
3. Fear of the unknown- Can I make it on my own?
4. Fear of the unknown- What if I fail?
5. Fear of the unknown- I don’t have a Plan B

I suggest journaling what comes to mind based on the follow on phrases I have included after each point.

You will be very surprised at what pops out of your head. You will have before you the internal dialogue that has kept you from moving towards your goals. If you feel stuck and afraid, there is only one remedy-TAKE ACTION

As a gentle reminder, I’d like to leave you with the Law of Action summed up in one sentence;

The only time you have the chance to show courage is when you are afraid-Dan Millman Way of the Peaceful Warrior

What has given me so much personal satisfaction in coaching my clients as they transition from their old job to a new career is watching their true selves re emerge after being suppressed for so long.

I see the light in their eyes,

I notice the change in their general demeanor.

Yes, they stand taller and prouder and walk with their heads held higher.

Were they apprehensive when they made that first decision to get out of the “holding pattern”? Yes, they were but they made a commitment and promise to themselves and did not accept second best.

They just knew there was much more for themselves and chased down their dreams.

Just in case you are procrastinating, vacillating and thinking of all those “cons” instead of focusing on the “pros”, I’d like to share with you the late Steve Job’s thoughts.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs

1955-2011, Co-Founder of Apple Computer

In this installment, we examine how your skills can make or break the deal

Here are the 3 tips on the subject of Skills:

TIP 4:

USE YOUR SKILLS TO CLOSE THE DEAL

I think you have to have that bit of ruthless streak in you. You have to train yourself to do that ‘take someone by the throat’ kind of move in a nice way. But I think women are quite good at it. I think women are often seen as having these great powers of empathy and introspection and I think that they can use those in dealing with people.

If you’re in a meeting where you want someone to do something or you want to close the deal, you use those tools to close the deal, to read body language and understand where that person is coming from and use it. Diana Gribble

TIP 5: 

DEVELOP YOUR OWN SKILLS

Treat yourself as if you’re a product of a business. If you are responsible for a brand in a business, you would sit down and say what’s my business plan for the brand?

So it’s doing the same thing with yourself. I want to achieve this position, so I need to have financial skills, I need line management, I need strategic thinking. Then you ask how am I going to collect those along the way? What are the different types of roles?

And actually talking about it and planning it with your respective family and with your respective employees.

If you want to be promoted and want to have a long-term view, really think about yourself and how you’re going to develop yourself and then go out and negotiate and get people to share that vision with you and agree to take you on that journey. Gillian Franklin

TIP 6:

IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SKILLS, DON’T PRETEND

People shouldn’t try and pretend that they have skills that they haven’t because you will be caught out. I think what you should do is say this is what I love doing, this is what I think I’m good at. If I’m not good at it, I would like to be. I’ll go out and figure out how to get those skills.

This brings in the whole role of mentors that I think women do particularly badly. So you need to go and talk to people who have been there, done that and say give me advice. Ask them how they did it. Gillian Franklin

My 2 cents worth:

Regarding Tip 5 where Gillian Franklin poses the question of branding with respect to you the person, I am with her 100% of the way.

As a female executive, do you actively and consciously project your brand.

So my question to you is, What do you stand for?

Do you make yourself known as the person who wants the job every other person is vying for, and what have you done to distinguish yourself from the rest of the herd?

The reality is that even if you have done a terrific job to date, you still need some shameless self promotion to get your message heard and your brand noticed by the powers that be.

Ask yourself if you are up for it.

If not, email me and I can suggest some techniques that will get you over your self -consciousness.

Until next time, keep your eye on the prize.